Culture Shock
by brightspark
Summary: FFIV and FFX2 crossover, multi chapter. Eventual GippalxEdge. Involving strange machina, culture shock, love and trying to get home.
1. Chapter 1

It's an interesting machina, and Gippal won't trust it to anyone else. It's all in bits across the floor of the room he claims for a work room, and it has been for weeks and he's no closer to an answer, but he's not bored yet, either. He wants to know what it is, what it does, he wants to tweak it, he wants to be the one who makes it work.

It's rare for something to catch him like that and the Machine Faction tread softly, respectful and reverent. It's odd to find Gippal working at all hours of the day and night, odd to wonder where he is and find out he's in the temple. Normally he's everywhere else, and always when you need him.

But even when they think they need him, they don't summon him, because he sits there with his lip caught between his teeth and a piece of machina in each hand.

He likes it, the challenge, because it's something _new_ and _interesting_ and more complex than he'd ever thought a machina could be. Part of it was curiosity, part of it was sheer stubbornness that he kept his reputation of being able to do _anything_ with machina intact. And the thing takes shape, gradually, under his hands.

And when it's finished, it's smaller than he expects it to be. Compact. It doesn't look like much despite all the bits that went into it, all the bits that he could barely identify, and it's full of guesswork and pure luck. But he knows it's _right_, that he's done it, and pride wells up in the wake of the knowledge.

Next he has to figure out how to make it _work_.

----

"King Edward!"

Edge winces at the name and comes back to reality, sitting up straight in his throne and feeling Gramps' displeasure like a cold winter breeze down the back of his neck. The look on the soldier's eyes captures his interest and he stands, ignoring Gramps' whispered warning to stay seated.

Fuck Gramps. Edge is sure he knows how to run Eblan, and he'd _show_ Gramps if Gramps wasn't so intent on showing _him_. He gathers up his cloak, raising an eyebrow at the soldier. "Well, lead the way."

"Sir?"

The confusion on the soldier's face makes him roll his eyes. "Outside? To see whatever you've found, yes?"

"How did you...?" 

"There's mud on your shoes."

The soldier's smile is both mystified and pleased as he swings round to follow orders. With a glance at _Grumpy_, Edge follows the soldier, not caring what his grandfather thinks anyway.

"Report," he says, crisply, and the soldier stiffens a little until he's ordered to relax.

"Well, sir, we were patrolling the perimeter and we heard a loud bang. We thought it might be an attack, even though we weren't sure who would be attacking. We saw a bright light and thought there might be a bomb or some kind of fire. But when we went in that direction, we couldn't see anything. We checked the area and we found a strange guy laying unconscious there."

"You haven't moved him?"

"No, sir. I was sent to find you and ask what should be done."

"Well done." Edge gives the praise easily, but the soldier looks gratified and pleased, and there'll be one more tale of King Edward's kindness before the night is through. Edge wins his people's hearts, whether Gramps likes it or not. "So where exactly is this guy?"

"This way, sir," the soldier says, and he walks a little faster, and Edge follows, relaxed and easy.

The man is sitting up when they get there, dazed looking and confused, but awake and apparently not injured. Edge runs a critical eye over him. Not a thief, he thinks, a fighter, some big kinda weapon. He's missing an eye or something, because he wears an eyepatch, and he has blond hair, and there's something odd about his remaining eye, too, but Edge can't put a finger on it.

The man's voice, when he speaks, is a jolt, too, and the language is strange, and the fact that the language is strange makes it even stranger, because Edge has studied every language that anyone knows how to teach. "Frana eh Spira ys E?"

"Do you speak in this language?" Edge asks, carefully.

"Not Al Bhed..." the man says, wonderingly, and then gets up, brushing himself off. Edge waves off the soldiers who tense up, hands on weapons. "I'm Gippal."

He says it as if he expects Edge to know who he is. Edge racks his brain quickly but can't come up with anything, so he settles for trying to meet the one visible eye. "I'm King Edward of Eblan."

"...Of where?"

-----

When they get it all straightened out, Edge almost wants to think it's a crazy dream, but there the 'Al Bhed' sits, with his knowledge of that _language_ and his outlandish clothes and his tales of a world that had been as tortured, or maybe more tortured, than the land Edge knows. After all, Eblan Castle has only been rebuilt once. The world Gippal speaks of has been rebuilt time and time again.

Privately, he hopes that Gippal has amnesia or something. That he's perfectly normal, really. Or a madman. Because the idea of another world out there terrifies Edge, for no reason other than the fact that it was _unknown_ and completely alien.

But amnesiac, alien or mad, Gippal could probably use a drink, so Edge pours one, handing it to him carefully. "Alcohol. Be careful."

Gippal snorts and takes a swallow, and then his eye widens. "Shit."

Edge grins. "Good shit."

And Gippal laughs. He laughs so easily. Edge _can't_ feel uncomfortable about him, however alien he is. And, after all the talking, he could use a drink too, so he gets one for himself and sits down.

"It's hard to take in. All that stuff about Spira, and Sin, and Yevon..."

"Trust me, the kids who learn the history back at home aren't going to like it. And I haven't even mentioned Vegnagun and Shuyin yet." Gippal makes a face and drinks again. "Not sure I want to, either."

"I guess it must be easier to understand all the stuff about this world. Zeromus and the moon and..." Edge stops at the look on Gippal's face and raises an eyebrow.

"No. It's not easier." Gippal grins, sloshing the drink around in his glass. "It's hard to believe I'm on a whole 'nother world. Knew that machina was special. Didn't think _this_ special."

They both laugh.


	2. Chapter 2

Edge thinks he's a pretty intelligent guy, and not slow either, thankyouverymuch, but sometimes Gippal is so strange it sets his head reeling. There are still things that seem so strange about Gippal, and yet he doesn't dare to ask. His views of the world have been rocked enough.

Gramps disapproves. Says the guy must be mad. But Edge looks into that one green eye, and follows the swirl around, and he doesn't believe Gippal is just a freak. He's far too comfortable with himself, forgetting the swirl of his eye, even, for that. Gramps can say what he likes, but Edge knows how to handle people. And whatever Gramps thinks, the whole going-with-Cecil-to-save-the-world thing calmed him down. A little, at least.

And he hasn't flirted with a girl in weeks.

He still has to do all the kingly stuff, of course, and really he doesn't have that much time for Gippal. But he does set aside at least an hour, every night, and he takes along a bottle of whatever he can find, and talks to Gippal. He's gotten used to doing it, and he lets go a little when he's around him.

So it's a shock to him when Gippal gulps down the last of his drink and stretches a little. "I'm going to start looking for my machina tomorrow."

Edge's heart sinks. He tells himself he's an idiot and gulps the last of his drink too, pouring more for both of them. "So you're leaving Eblan?"

"I was hoping I could stay."

Gippal's voice is light, hopeful, but not hesitant. Edge likes that, likes that Gippal doesn't tiptoe around the subject. He simply says it. And however little Edge likes it, his heart feels a little lighter at the thought of Gippal _wanting_ to stay. "Please do."

There's a pause.

Edge clears his throat. "You're eager to go home, then?"

Gippal shrugs a little. "It's not that I don't like it here. I do. It's just... I have people to miss back home. Baralai and Rikku and heck, even Nooj, though 'Lai will probably bitch at me for using an ancient machina without knowing what it's for, and Rikku will scold and wish I'd brought her too, and Nooj will probably just humph at me. He thinks I'm too impulsive and all of that."

Edge snorts softly. "People say that of me, if you'd believe it."

Gippal's one eye twinkles. "Why, I'd never've thought it."

-----

"Didn't find _anything_."

The depression in Gippal's voice makes Edge wince. With Gippal always so easy going, nearly always with a smile on his face, it's _hard_ to see him looking like that. And he doesn't think just handing the man a drink and slapping him on the back will work. So he reaches out, clumsily, putting his hand on Gippal's shoulder and squeezing.

"I'm sorry."

"S'not anyone's _fault_. 'Cept maybe mine."

"It's not as if you could've known..." 

"And that's why I shouldn't have used the machina." Gippal sighs, and then brightens a little, offering Edge a tiny smile. "But, heck, laying blame on myself isn't going to do anyone any good. I guess I'll have to try to build a new machina to get home."

"Can you do that...?"

"Hopefully." 

Edge sighs again, and then, wishing he was more like Cecil (who has really turned out to be a great King) or Rosa (who is a wonderful Queen) or even Rydia, with her soft words in the right places, makes a careful offer. "My soldiers could help you search."

"I don't want to -- "

"Please."

Gippal bites his lip a little and Edge shrugs slightly, mumbling that it isn't a problem for him, after all, a little embarrassed by the quickness of his offer.

"Then... thank you. That'd help."

"Who is it that you want to get back to, anyway?" Edge asks as he turns away, pouring them each a generous amount of wine. "You haven't told me much about your friends. Who is Rikku?"

And Gippal grinned and told him everything he could. He told him about Baralai and his hesitant friendship, and his strength and loyalty, and about Paine and her silent, fierce attachment to him and Baralai and Nooj, and Nooj and his deathseeking, and about Rikku and her energy and brightness that had always made him feel happy.

And Edge tells him about Cecil and Kain and Rosa and Rydia and everyone, and before they know it, it's light and neither of them had any sleep.

-----

Gippal left a week ago, not for long, but Edge misses him. More than he thought he would. He misses evening conversations and pleasing Gramps a little and going to bed in a pleasant haze of alcohol. Drinking alone is no fun; there are some girls to keep him company, but at the risk of Gramps' displeasure.

Edge has got to a point where he just tries to avoid Gramps' displeasure. Privately, he thinks that while he loves his grandfather, mostly, he'll be glad when he's six feet under.

Rosa would chide him for that thought. She tells him to be patient.

The point is that Edge misses Gippal. More than he should.

So much that when Gippal gets back, he half wants to throw his arms around him like he would Cecil and embrace him. But it's not like he's an equal and Gramps is right there so he settles for a grin and running a hand through his hair. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Gippal grins back.

And just like that, Edge feels like everything is okay.


	3. Chapter 3

Edge doesn't quite mean for it to happen, and by not quite, that's actually saying _not at all_, but he recognises the signs soon enough. It's kind of obvious in the way his day isn't complete without at _least_ an hour spent in Gippal's company. And it's certainly pretty clear in the way he misses Gippal when he's away searching for his machina. It might be signalled by the little sinking of his heart that happens every time Gippal might have found a piece of his machina, even if Gippal is sad if he hasn't found _anything_.

And it's definitely pointed out, in a rather glaringly obvious way, by the dreams Edge has.

He's infatuated with the man from another world.

He should hate it, except you can't quite hate anything about Gippal; not the way he walks or talks or eats his food, not the way he grins and laughs and acts like he's the best. You can't even hate him for effortlessly making everyone, except maybe Gramps, like him. The furthest it goes is finding he grinds on your nerves one day or another.

Edge doesn't even really find that.

It's getting more dangerous to spend those hours slightly tipsy with him, but there comes a point past caution when you just have to reach out and take what you want. Especially after a few drinks.

So Edge reaches out and pulls Gippal close and kisses him so hard he blinks three times, slowly, comically, before responding.

And then Gippal does some reaching out and taking of his own, in the form of pushing Edge against the wall and kissing the hell out of him, then dragging him by the shirt to the nearest bedroom.

Edge decides that reaching out and taking is decidedly a good thing.

-----

He thought he'd feel more uncomfortable, but Gippal just woke early to shake him awake, kiss him good morning and slip out. He's perceptive enough to see that Gramps would have a _real_ snitfit if he found out Edge's latest exploit, and Edge is very, very grateful for that.

Not that he's ashamed of it.

When he sees Gippal again, later, when his duties are over, instead of just sitting waiting for him, Gippal is sat writing something out. His eye is scrunched up in concentration and he's frowning. Edge wants to kiss him, but at the same time he thinks he better not.

"Hey."

"Hey," Gippal says, with that grin, and Edge hands him the glass of wine and takes a seat and manages to look civilised and the picture of the happily idle king, at the same time as rocking his chair back onto two legs and kicking one foot into the air childishly.

"What're you up to?"

"I thought you wanted me to teach you Al Bhed," Gippal is teasing but serious and Edge moves closer to look at the letters, reaching up to run his finger over a letter, smudging it a little.

"It's like our writing."

"Uses the same alphabet as this language."

Gippal teaches him the way the letters sound different, and at some point he realises that neither of them have really drunk any wine and that Gippal's arm is curled around his waist and his cheek is against Gippal's shoulder. He likes the feeling so he doesn't move, listening to Gippal's voice, learning some of it but mostly just listening now and drifting...

Gippal smiles when he hears Edge's soft snore, carefully shifting to keep holding him. They could be more comfortable, but he doesn't want to wake Edge, so they stay there until Edge sits up straight and rubs his neck.

"Ouch. Crap. You could've woken me."

"You were snoring too loud to hear me shouting your name," Gippal teases, and Edge pokes him hard.

"Liar. You didn't even _try_."

"Maybe not. Shall we go to bed?"

It should seem strange to be going to bed with a man, but it didn't the day before and it doesn't now. Edge puts the chair against the door and Gippal nods approval of the precaution and starts to undress, undoing the straps and dropping his clothes in a heap. Edge starts to fold his, but when Gippal crawls into bed and gives him a cheeky grin as well as a 'come hither' gesture, he drops them all and goes to the bed.

There's no one who can come in and scold him for the mess of his floor anyway.

-----

It's days later when Gippal finally brings up the subject that Edge hates; going home. He hates the thought even more now because it's not just a friend he'd lose. Gippal is someone who knows him better than anyone. Gippal knows exactly which spots to kiss to make him shiver, knows the right words to say to get the right reaction, knows all kinds of little things that no one else would bother to know.

Being _known_ like that is refreshing and Edge feels he could get used to it.

He doesn't protest, though. Gippal wants to go home and leave him, so Gippal can do that. Even though it hurts.

Something has changed though, because Gippal is more reluctant. Because he takes Edge's hand in his and traces the lines of the folds of his palm, his touch gentle, like he can read something in Edge's palm.

"I kind of want to go home," he says, softly, "but at the same time, I want to stay. I don't know what to do, so I figure I'll keep working on going home, and if I find a way, I'll choose then. Just... it's not easy for me."

That helps a little, knowing it's not easy, and it helps that Gippal is reluctant to leave his bed on the morning he goes. He lingers and lingers and kisses Edge goodbye at least three times before he puts his clothes on and again after. But then his grin comes up and he does a _final_ kiss goodbye, a really good one that sends shivers down Edge's spine and makes him almost want to reach for him and pull him down onto the bed.

And then he goes with a wave and a smile and that helps Edge keep smiling, too.

After all, it sucks when things get _too_ serious. 


End file.
